Pre Rup Temple is one of the more distinctive of the many temples built by the Khmer Empire in the area near Siem Reap which is now known as the Angkor Archaeological Park. Entry to archaeological park as a whole requires the purchase of a entry pass priced at $37 USD for a single day, $62 USD for three days, and $72 USD for a week.
About Pre Rup Temple
Pre Rup Temple is Hindu temple constructed in 961 or 962 and dedicated to Hindu deities Shiva, Vushnu, Parvarti (wife of Shiva) and Lakshmi (wife of Vishnu). The significant aspect of this temple is its design. The temple has two perimeter walls creating two enclosures and was once most likely surrounded by a moat. The outer wall, measuring 117 by 127 metres in length has an impressive gopura entrance on each of the four sides as does the inner wall, in alignment with the outer wall and the cardinal points on a compass. The outer enclosure once contained halls which have disappeared over the last thousand years. Until restoration work began in the 1930s Pre Rup Temple had become very overgrown, and like many of the temples in the archaeological park it was quite literally lost in the jungle until the 20th Century.
Pre Rup Temple in Siem ReapThe most striking part of Pre Rup Temple is the inner enclosure. This enclosure features a pyramidal structure with a base 50 metres wide. The pyramid rises 12 metres in three tier. The top tier levels off into a large platform with five further towers, four of which are grouped around one large central tower. The pyramid represents Mount Meru which, according to Hindu cosmology, is the mountain at the centre of the universe where the gods normally reside. Mount Meru has five peaks as does the representation of it at Pre Rup Temple. The reddish tones of the block used to construct much of the temple are best viewed at sunrise or sunset when the light is less bright making the red and orange hues of the stone block more easily visible to the naked eye.
Location of Pre Rup Temple
Pre Rup Temple is located 13.1 km by road from Siem Reap Town.
